Canterbury A&P Show returns to Wednesday–Friday — back to where it belongs
Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November 2026 | Canterbury Agricultural Park
The Board and General Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association have confirmed that the Canterbury A&P Show will return to its original Wednesday–Thursday–Friday format, beginning with the 163rd Show in November 2026.
The Friday date is set by the Show's traditional 163 year formula: the second Friday after the first Tuesday of November. For 2026, that places the Show on Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park.
The decision restores a format that served the Show for more than 160 consecutive years — and reflects direct feedback from the farming community, rural exhibitors, and agricultural businesses who are the backbone of the Canterbury A&P Show.
"This is a return to our roots," said Canterbury A&P Association Chairman Sir David Carter. "Wednesday–Friday is the format that works for farmers, for competitors, and for the rural community that built this Show. We listened to our exhibitors and our members, and we are acting on what they told us. That is what good governance looks like."
The change also resolves a scheduling conflict that has affected the Show under its previous Thursday–Saturday format. With the Show now running Wednesday through Friday, rural and urban Canterbury can attend the Show across three full days before the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton on Saturday — two complementary pillars of Canterbury's event calendar, rather than rivals for the same audience.
“When we build this Show around rural exhibitors and competitors, the urban audience gets something no other event can offer — a genuinely authentic rural experience to share with their kids. That’s what they come for. That’s what we have to protect,” said Geoff Bone, Event Director of the Canterbury A&P Show.
Full competition schedules, entry information, exhibitor details, and membership communications will be confirmed and released through established channels ahead of the Show.
Canterbury A&P Show
Wednesday 11 – Friday 13 November 2026 Canterbury Agricultural Park
© 2026 Canterbury A&P Show